1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to protective devices for motor vehicles. More particularly, it pertains to an apparatus to lower a cover over a vehicle to shield it from the elements and raise it to a storage position almost out of sight when not in use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In many parts of the United States, population density, lot size or governmental regulations prevent the establishment of an enclosed garage adjacent or as part of a residence in which to store the family vehicle. Particularly, in the western part of the United States and more specifically in retirement communities, enclosed garages are not used and an overhanging roof or "carport" is all that is possible under which to store an automobile.
Carport storage is effective to protect the vehicle from precipitation; however, it is still exposed to wind, dirt, smog and frost--elements which cause deterioration to the exterior as well as to the interior surfaces thereof. Accordingly, in areas where rigid coverage of a vehicle is not possible, some other form of covering, in addition to the overhanging roof, is desirable to prolong the life of the family car.
For the younger set, a cloth cover is easily and conveniently draped over the vehicle and, in many cases, form fit using elastic belting about the edge to gather the cover under the fender wells of the vehicle. Unfortunately, placing such a cover over a vehicle and pulling it and tugging it to conform to its curvature is a task often difficult or impossible for many people, especially those whose range of mobility may be restricted due to age or infirmity. Further, manually installed covers collect dirt and are difficult to put on and take off without soiling one's clothes. Still further, manually installed covers involve time to take off, fold up and put away, time that is valuable to many persons. Nevertheless, covers are still desirable and a wide range of people need a safe and timely way to use them.
Attempts have been made to hang covers from carports or other overhead supports and adapt them by ropes, winches and pulleys to be lowered over a vehicle parked thereunder and later retracted up into a storage configuration. These attempts have not been successful and the many problems encountered have not been solved.
These problems include the cover hanging down too far from above the vehicle so that wind and wind gusts will blow it off the vehicle; the plurality of messy lines extending from the winches and pulleys that render the device aesthetically undesirable for installation next to a well-kept home: the complexity of the devices that make them exceedingly hard to install and use; the difficulty in using them when attached to a slanted overhanging support such as a carport roof; and the general problems of using a plurality of ropes, lines and pulleys such that a slip of one line will throw the whole device out of alignment. Finally, there are so many ropes to be pulled and wrapped about cleats to hold the covers in the desired position over the vehicle that the task becomes too strenuous for many people. These problems remained unsolved so that today, there are few retractable cover devices available on the market.